Absence Of Signal Sequence Research Articles

A heterodimer of EsxA and EsxB is involved in sporulation and is secreted by a type VII secretion system in Streptomyces coelicolor

An esx locus, related to the multiple esx loci of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is conserved in all sequenced Streptomyces genomes, where it is associated with the developmental regulatory gene bldB. Here we demonstrate that the esxBA operon, comprising part of the locus, has a novel morphogenetic function in the model species Streptomyces coelicolor. This operon encodes two proteins belonging to the WXG-100 superfamily that can form a heterodimer and are secreted in the absence of signal sequences. A mutation in esxBA results in a delay in sporulation, with eventual development of aerial hyphae with chains of abnormally sized spore compartments possessing irregular DNA contents. During early sporulation, expression of the operon is elevated in a bldB mutant. Other genes in the locus, notably SCO5734 and SCO5721, encode components of a type VII secretion system. Disruption of either of these genes prevents secretion of EsxAB but has no effect on sporulation. To explain the morphogenetic function of EsxAB, we propose that the heterodimer sequesters a regulator of expression of genes involved in nucleoid organization during sporulation.

Biosynthesis, secretion and extracellular localization of anchorin CII, a collagen-binding protein of the calpactin family.

The amino acid sequence of anchorin CII, a collagen-binding protein isolated originally from chondrocyte membranes, was previously determined by sequencing of cDNA and proteolytic fragments of the protein. Computer analysis of the protein sequence revealed four internal repeats of approximately 70-80 residues, each containing a highly conserved consensus sequence of 17 residues. These repeats show considerable homology with sequences in human and bovine calpactin, lipocortin, endonexin and protein II, which are members of a family of Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding proteins, as well as major substrates of tyrosine kinases. While these proteins have been located at the inner side of the plasma membrane of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, here we present experimental evidence that anchorin CII is at least partially released from cells and binds to the outer cell surface. Biosynthesis studies in cell-free systems and in cell culture indicate that anchorin CII is not processed, which is consistent with the absence of signal sequences from the protein. Yet, pulse-chase experiments show that anchorin is released into the culture medium of fibroblasts after 30 min, and in chondrocyte cultures after 20 h. Anchorin CII was located to the outer cell surface of chondrocytes by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed cell surface iodination as well as by antibody labeling both at light- and electron-microscopical level. The pericellular localization of anchorin CII is consistent with the notion that this protein is involved in the interaction of chondrocytes and fibroblasts with extracellular collagen.

Presecretory and cytoplasmic invertase polypeptides encoded by distinct mRNAs derived from the same structural gene differ by a signal sequence.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain FH4C carries a single invertase structural gene, SUC2, but produces distinct invertase mRNAs and polypeptides for the secreted and cytoplasmic forms of the enzyme. The two major invertase cell-free translation products are polypeptides of 60,000 daltons (p60) and 62,000 daltons (p62) and correspond to the nonglycosylated cytoplasmic form of invertase and the precursor of glycosylated secreted invertase, respectively. This paper describes amino acid sequence and peptide map analyses of invertase polypeptides. The peptide maps demonstrate that p62, p60, and the in vivo secreted polypeptide have significant structural homology. Sequence analysis, however, revealed differences between p62 and p60 at their amino termini. p62 contains an amino-terminal signal sequence of 19 amino acid residues that is specifically cleaved during secretion in a cell-free system to generate the secreted 87,000-dalton invertase glycopeptide gp87. This signal sequence is not present in p60. p60 synthesis begins with a methionine which can be aligned with a methionine at residue 21 in p 62. During translation, the p60 initiator methionine is removed and the newly generated amino terminus is acetylated. Based on peptide map similarities, partial amino-terminal sequence data, and common genetic origin, it is suggested that p60 and p62 have identical amino acid sequences carboxy-terminal to the p60 initiator methionine (residue 21 of p62). The reciprocal correlations of signal sequence with secretion and absence of signal sequence with cytoplasmic localization provide proof of the signal hypothesis for secreted proteins. Two mechanisms are proposed for the derivation of p60 and p62 from a single structural gene: alternative promoter sites, and differential processing of a single primary transcript.